Rate My Professor Terrence GARDNER

Dr. Gardner holds a Ph.D. from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and specializes in research on soil and environmental microbial ecology. His investigations explore the interactions between tree species and soil microbial communities in forest ecosystems, particularly monoculture plantations and urban forests. In the 2023 Forests publication 'The Impact of Tree Species on Microbial Community Composition and Function in Urban Forests,' Gardner and co-authors analyzed soils from black walnut (Juglans nigra) and northern red oak (Quercus rubra) stands in the Central Hardwoods Region using ester-linked fatty acid methyl ester profiling and enzyme assays. Results showed black walnut promoting higher microbial biomass, Gram-positive bacterial dominance, fungal prevalence (2:1 fungal-to-bacterial ratio), and elevated activities of ß-glucosidase and arylsulfatase, with seasonal peaks in summer influenced by soil moisture and pH. A follow-up 2024 Microorganisms paper further demonstrated tree species' overriding influence on microbial structures compared to season or depth. Gardner also co-developed techniques for bean beetle microbiome projects on eggs, presented in ABLE 2024, supporting undergraduate research. These contributions advance understanding of microbial roles in nutrient cycling and ecosystem health.